Blair-Brown deal

The Blair-Brown deal, also known as the Granita Pact, is a shorthand term for a widely-held belief in British politics that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown made a gentlemen's agreement after the death of Labour leader John Smith in 1994.cite news
last =Wheeler
first =Brian
coauthors =
title =Profile: Gordon Brown
work =
pages =
language =
publisher =BBC
date =2005-12-05
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4500092.stm
accessdate =2005-12-25 ]

According to several authors,cite book
first=Robert
last=Peston
title=Brown's Britain
publisher=Short Books
location=London
isbn=1904095674
date=2005
pages=66-68 cited in citation
page=258
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=VY79slzT1aAC&pg=PA258&vq=%22infamous+Granita+meeting%22&dq=blair+brown+granita&as_brr=3&sig=2HdRkw4itkl85YqMgrbe6QNZheE
first=Alan
last=Smithers
contribution=Education
editor-first=Anthony
editor-last=Seldon
title=The Blair Effect 2001-5
publisher=Cambridge University Press
date=2005
isbn=052186142X] cite book
pages=115
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=bKc6oh0MHpkC&pg=PA115&vq=granita&dq=blair+brown+granita&as_brr=3&sig=1WhXLBSo_-Ln5FV1R8TyDG2bX2o
first=Peter
last=Dorey
title=Policy Making In Britain: An Introduction
publisher=Sage Publications
isbn=0761949046
date=2005
location=London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi] Gordon Brown agreed not to stand in the Labour Party leadership election, effectively giving Blair a clear run, and letting him lead the Labour Party in the 1997 general election. In return, Brown would be allowed wide powers over domestic policy. This was apparently confirmed by a copy of a note published in "The Guardian" in June 2003. The note mentions Blair's commitment to a "fairness agenda" consisting of "social justice, employment opportunities and skills" under a Labour government. [Happold, Tom and Maguire, Kevin. [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,971669,00.html Revealed: Brown and Blair's pact] "The Guardian", 2003-06-06. Retrieved on 2005-12-25.]

According to a widely-held (but unconfirmed) view, Blair also agreed that if he acceeded to the position of Prime Minister, he would stay in the job for an agreed period of time. He would then resign and hand the job over to Brown.cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title =Timeline: Blair vs Brown
work =
pages =
language =
publisher =BBC
date =2006-09-07
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5322946.stm
accessdate =2005-12-25 ] It should be noted that the Labour Party does not select its leader by allowing the outgoing leader to choose or name a successor.

It is commonly believed that the 'deal' was agreed at the now-defunct Granita restaurant in Islington, London..

In 2003, columnist Tom Brown told the BBC that Gordon Brown had informed him of the 'deal' the day after it had allegedly been made. Tom Brown said to BBC Radio Scotland:

"I'm in absolutely no doubt there was a deal since Gordon phoned me the morning after it was made and told me about it. But at the same time I also believe that both men left the restaurant with a different version of the deal in their minds. They hadn't actually written it down on paper. Gordon believed Blair would step down about now actually, and Blair believed that he... hadn't committed himself to any timetable."

[cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title =Brown and Blair 'did make deal'
work =
pages =
language =
publisher =BBC
date =2003-10-04
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3163808.stm
accessdate =2005-12-25 ]

Some of Blair's supporters deny such a deal ever existed. A 2007 "Dispatches" programme entitled "Gordon Brown - Fit For Office?" claimed that Gordon Brown felt betrayed after losing support from Peter Mandelson and other friends and that this lack of support, rather than any deal, made him decide not to run for the leadership. [ [http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/dispatches/gordon+brown+fit+for+office/509052 Channel 4 - News - Dispatches - Gordon Brown: Fit For Office? ] ]

In her autobiography, Cherie Blair claims that the deal took place at a neighbour's home, not at Granita. [cite news|title= Blair 'secretly advising Brown'|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7393530.stm|work= BBC News Online|date= 2008-05-10|accessdate= 2008-05-10]

Representations in the arts and media

An account of the pact between the two politicians was presented in detail in the 2001 book "The Rivals: The Intimate Story of a Political Marriage" written by BBC journalist James Naughtie.

The relationship between Blair and Brown in the years 1983-1994 - culminating in an in-depth presentation of the Granita summit meeting - was the focus of a 2003 film made for television directed by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan, based in part upon Naughtie's book. The film - titled "The Deal" - starred Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and David Morrissey as Gordon Brown. It claimed during the opening titles that "much of what follows is true". [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2003/sep/25/politicsandthearts.television Michael Portillo and Tim Allan review The Deal | Politics | The Guardian ] ]

ee also

*Kirribilli agreement - a similar deal in Australian politics.

References